The Choices We Make
by lost.muses
Summary: A Drabble I wrote for a LAS Comm. The prompt was "A Christmas Carol".


Chuck sighed into the phone. "I know I said I would join you tonight, Raina, but I'm not feeling well. I just want to go home and rest." The answer he got from his girlfriend just made him sigh again. "Tell him whatever you want, Raina. I'm not in the mood for it tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow." He didn't wait for her to answer before he hung up the phone and headed into the elevator. Within the hour, Chuck was in bed as a low fever caused him to toss and turn in fitful sleep.

Not long after he fell asleep he was woken by a soft blue light at the end of his bed. Try as he might, he couldn't seem to ignore it so he finally opened his eyes to the image of a whispy blue image of Blair. "What are you doing here, Blair?"

Blair tsked at him as her hand came to rest on her hip. "No one should be alone on Christmas, Chuck. Not even you."

"It's not exactly like I asked to be," he answered in dry response.

"Your choices brought you here." At his questioning look she shook her head and sent her curls bouncing gently around her face. "You'll find out in due time. Don't try to out stubborn your next three guests, you won't win." With the warning given, Blair faded from sight and left Chuck alone in the dark room once more. He shook his head with a cough and rolled over, falling back asleep.

The first to come was a whispy blue image of Eva in a light sundress who asked him to come with her. When he refused to get out of bed, she snapped her fingers and he found himself on his ass next to her. He grumbled softly but stood and followed her as she walked him through some of the happier times in his life. All of them seemed to revolve around a tiny Blair whose abundance of affection always seemed to make up for Bart's cold lack. "You've known in your heart for a long time where you belong, Chuck. Hiding behind people will only continue to make you miserable," Eva murmured before she left him back in his bedroom.

The second was Lily in a fashionable cocktail dress who merely asked him, "Shall we?" His next step took him to her side instantly. With her, he walked through what all his friends were doing now, on Christmas Eve. Serena and Eric were with Rufus and Lily, the three had finally come to forgive Lily what she did regarding Ben and were working towards healing. Nate was with Anna and the Captain who were trying to put their family back together now that he was out of prison. And Blair. Blair was laughing with Harold and Roman in the kitchen, the pie baking having turned into a fight with the flour instead. Lily's hand settled on Chuck's shoulder lightly before she left with a soft, "You know where you want to be, Charles. Be there."

The third came to him hooded though the cold reception and no words left Chuck with the solid impression that it was his father. He walked slower when the first scene he was shown was Blair, bigger around the middle, glowing with happiness, and a ring on her finger, snuggled in the arms of another man while they chattered about their first child. When he questioned the cloaked figure where he was in this future, the cloaked figured pointed to the side where a scene played out. Chuck watched as he and Raina fought, screaming at each other and her narrowly missing him as she threw a book at him. Chuck backed away from the scene as he shook his head. He didn't want to believe a future where he was so angry and, worst of all, one with no Blair.

He woke with a gasped cough, alone and in his bed as he shook from his dream. It only took moments for him to decide what he wanted to do to stop that eerie future from happening. Several hours later found Chuck as he stood at a door in Paris. He knocked before he coughed into the scarf around his neck and waited for the door to open. He offered a slightly sympathetic look to Harold when he opened the door in disbelief to find Chuck there. "I'm sorry to come without calling on Christmas, but I really need to see Blair. Please."

Harold nodded and ushered Chuck inside while Roman went to get Blair who'd still been sleeping. Her eyes went wide when she saw how pale Chuck looked as he sat, waiting for her. "Chuck? What's wrong?"

When she was close enough, Chuck wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face against her stomach. "I don't want you to marry Louis," he murmured softly. Before she could question where that statement came from he continued with, "I miss you, Blair. Please don't leave me again."

"Chuck..." The pain in his voice that threaded through that last sentence brought tears to Blair's eyes as she pushed her fingers through Chuck's hair. "You're burning up, love. Let's get you to bed, okay?" She tugged him gently back to her room. She finally got him settled with his head resting against her chest and his arms wrapped around her like he was scared he'd lose her if he let go. "Sleep, Chuck. I'm not going anywhere."

"Merry Christmas, my Queen," he murmured half asleep, body relaxing as she petted along his back.

She smiled softly at the pet name that only he used for her. They were long out of Constance but she knew she'd always be his Queen. "Merry Christmas, my King," she answered back. Her smile softened tenfold when she felt himself let go to sleep at the title that meant she'd stay with him, King to her Queen and only hers.


End file.
